In a news release Tuesday, Woodward Academy in College Park announced Campaign Woodward — the most expansive comprehensive fundraising campaign in the school’s history — reached a successful conclusion at the close of 2012 with two major gifts, a $3 million one and a $5 million one that is the single largest in the 113-year history of the school. Over the course of the campaign, Woodward raised $62.5 million.

Campaign Woodward began in the heady economic period prior to 2008, kicking off in September 2007 with an original goal of raising $47 million for three components: building three major new buildings on campus; increasing endowment for student financial aid, enrichment programs and student prize funds; and continuing annual gifts to The Woodward Fund to bridge the gap between tuition and operating expenses.

In 2008, the nation experienced an economic downtown, and Woodward went through a period of presidential transition. Despite these setbacks, the school successfully raised $7 million during a two-year period of austerity. The academy extended the campaign and increased the overall goal to $58.5 million so its third and final capital project — a new humanities building for the upper school — could be completed without debt.

For quite some time, students, teachers and coaches have been enjoying state-of-the-art facilities provided by Campaign Woodward: the 43,000-square-foot upper school math, science, and college counseling center which opened in August 2008 and a 72,000-square-foot athletic and fitness center, connected to an additional 30,000 square feet of renovated space, which opened for student use in January 2010 on the upper school campus. In addition, Campaign Woodward provided for extensive renovations to Dobbs Gymnasium and the creation of a new stadium complex, including a field with a state-of-the-art artificial surface, which opened in August 2009. In May 2010, the endowment and original Woodward Fund goals of Campaign Woodward were met, so only one final capital project remained — a new, 103,000-square-foot upper school humanities building to house the administration and the English, foreign language and history departments. (The new building will replace very outdated structures, parts of which were built 80 years ago.) The academy is now in conversations with architects and its construction firm with hopes of beginning construction this summer.

“We are very grateful for the generous support of our Woodward family,” said President Stuart Gulley. “Our success is the result of years of work by a dedicated and determined fundraising staff, and the truly unique loyalty and love that members of our community have for this great school. I extend my gratitude to all of our donors.”

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